Process of smelting copper matte.



. PAT'ENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

W. KEMP.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.3.'1903.

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PROCESS OF SMELTING GOPPER MATTE.

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A TTOHNE YS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM KEMP, OF TUCSON, ARIZONA TERRITORY, ASSIGN OR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE KEMP HYDRO-CARBON FURNACE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

Application filed October 3, 1903. Serial No. 175,584.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of refer. ence indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figurel represents a vertical crosssection through a furnace used for carrying out my process and Fig. 2 represents a vertical fragmentaryv section through the lower part of the furnace, taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

Upon the base 1 is mounted the brickwork 2, from which extend upwardly the walls 3,

each wall being preferably thinner at its top than at its bottom. A water-j acket is shown at 4, and the water contained therein is shown at 5. Surmounting this water-jacket is another water-j acket 6, filled with water 7. At 8 are shown the oblique openings directly through the walls of the water-j acket 4. The burner-casings are shown at 9 and are sup ported upon brace-rods 10, and the air-pipes are shown at 11 12, the concentric members of the burner at 13, a cylinder at 14. for supplying to the members 13 an admixture of vapor and steam, a hand-wheel at 15, a clamp at 16, a sight-opening at 18, and a cover therefor at 17, a mixing-tube at 19, and a steampipe at 20. This pipe 20 is connected by another pipe 21 with the pipes 22 23, whereby steam is supplied through the mixing-tube 19 from any. suitable source. A11 oil-tube is shown at 24. and is connected with pipes 25 26, whereby hydrocarbon oil is supplied to the mixingtube 19 also from any suitable source. The tap-hole for copper is shown'at 27, (see Fig. 2,) and the slag is tapped off from the tap-hole 27 The lower part of the furnace, consisting of the brickwork 2 andwall 3, constitutes the metal-well of the furnace.

The construction of the furnace, the burner, and the mixing-tube form no part of the invention and are fully described in my other applications, Serial Nos. 145,317 and 175,582, filed concurrently herewith. It will be observed, however, that due to the particular construction of the lower part of the furnace herein shown the burner devices are given a downward and inward inclination, the purpose of which will be fully understood from the description hereinafter following.

I11 explanation of my improved process it may be stated that the copper matte is charged into the furnace in a hard state or condition, with the lowermost stratum or zone thereof resting upon the brickwork 2, the mass of the charge extending or piling upwardly within the smelting-chamber and extending into the stack of the furnace, through which the charging is effected from above in any well-known way, a suitable percentage of flux, as silica, being continuously mixed with the matte during the charging of the matte into the furnace. A burning flame of oil-vapor, steam, and air is continuously forced or projected from the burner devices into or through the mass of the matte at the bottom, the power of the flame being very great, (and approximating 1,200 centigrade,) due to the large excess of air present therein, from pipes 11 and 12 via the casing or windbox 9, the relative diameter of each of said pipes being comparatively large, as shown. The action of said flame is to successively reduce the lowermost strata or zones of the matte to a molten condition, the mass of the matte above being at the same time subject- 'ed to a gradual roasting action upwardly,

resulting from the fact that the burning IIllX- ture takes an upward course through the matte. As each lowermost stratum or zone of the matte is reduced to the proper state of fusion the copper and slag are drawn off through the outlets therefor, the next succeeding and highly-roasted stratum or zone taking its place, and so on continuously as the charging of the matte into the furnace is carried on, it being understood that the desulfurizing of the mass of the matte takes place simultaneously with the reducing action above set forth.

The copper matte is a sulfid of copper and iron and usually contains about fifty per cent. of copper, twenty-four per cent. of sulfur, and twenty-six per cent. of iron. With a matte of this com osition about fifteen per cent. by weight, of silica, preferably in the form of quartz, is admixed each time the furnace is charged. The chemical reactions of smelting the matte on this basis are shown by the following equations:

CuFes 30 Cu FeO SO The copper matte being a sulfid of co per and iron t us unites with an excess 0 supplied by the flame, thereby forming meta lic copper, ferrous oxid, and sulfurousacid gas. Thereupon a second reaction takes place as follows:

Cu FeO sio Cu FeOSiO,

that is to say, the ferrous oxid combines with the silica, forming a ferrous silicate or slag, the metallic copper being unchanged by this second reaction. It will thus be seen that the chemical reactions are very simple and that in smelting sulfids the action is one of oxidizing and not of reducing, as would be the casein the ordinary coke-furnace.

The process essentially consists of a roasting and a smelting action at the same moment and is attained without previous roasting or fusing of the matte and without the use of coke, coal, charcoal, or other form of free carbon. Neither is it necessary in my process to employ silicious linings or con verting lants of any kind. Suppose now that the mace contains a charge of silica or silicious ore, the quantity of the latter being so apportioned as to take upthe iron contents of the matte, and that the flame is turned on, as above described. The flame being forced through the mass of matte and silica immediately attacks the sulfids contained within the matte, thereby forming sulfurous-acid gas. The iron contained within the matte unites with the oxygen in the air, thereby forming ferrous oxid, and the metallic copper in a molten state is thus set free. The sulfurous-acid gas escapes, and the ferrous oxid combines with the silica, forming a liquid slag, which flows OE, and the copper being in a molten state and being heavy accumulates in the metal-well, where it is protected against further action of the flame. The slag and cop er are tapped off at intervals, as will be rea ily understood by persons accustomed to handling molten metal. The charging of the matte and silica into the furnace is accomplished in substantially the same manner as the charging of other ores in ordinary smelting rocesses.

By my process above descri ed copper matte can be smelted so as to produce b ack cop er in one continuous process, beginning wit the matte and ending with the metallic copper. The process readily saves seventyfive er cent. of the cost of the process ordinaril y used in converting.- My process is of peculiar value to smelters who work on small oxygen scale and who at resent find it necessary to ship the so-calle fifty-per-cent. matte. My process, in eflect, does at a single operation the work otherwise required to first produce a fifty-per-cent. copper matte from raw sulfld ore and then to smelt the matte and produce therefrom metallic copper ready for commercial use.

I- desire to state that in the carrying out of my process the use of steam is not altogether essential, though preferably employed in some instances, since substantially the same results may be derived from a flame produced from oil-vapor and air alone, the air being in excess. On the other hand, good results may also be obtained by flame resulting from oil-vapor and steam alone.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent--- 1. The method herein described of producing metallic copper directly from copper matte, which consists in subjecting the matte, while in hard condition, and in the presence of a flux, to the melting action of the flame of a burning mixture of oil-vapor, steam and 2. The method herein described of producing metallic copper directly from copper matte, which consists in charging/the matte into a furnace in a hard condition, successively fusing the lowermost zones of the matte from the bottom, and desulfurizing the charge.

3. The method herein described of producing metallic copper directly from copper matte, which consists in charging the matte into a furnace in a hard condition, and mixed with a flux, and successively fusing the loW- ermost zones of the matte from the bottom, and desulfurizing the charge.

4. The method herein described of producing metallic copper direct from copper matte, which consists in charging the matte into a furnace in hard condition and successively subjecting the lowermost zones thereof to the action of an oxidizing and desulfurizing flame.

5. The method herein described of producing metallic copper direct from copper matte, which consists in charging the matte into a furnace in hard condition and successively subjecting the lowermost zones thereof to the action of an oxidizing and desulfurizing flame in the presence of a flux.

6. The method herein described of producing metallic copper direct from copper matte, which consists in charging the matte into a furnace in hard condition and successively subjecting the lowermost zones thereof to the action of an oxidizing and desulfurizing flame furnace in hard condition and successively subjecting the lowermost zones thereof to the action of a burning mixture in which there is an excess of oxygen.

8. The method herein described of producing metallic copper direct from copper matte, which consists in charging the matte into a furnace in hard condition and successively subjecting the lowermost zones thereof to the action of a burning mixture in the presence of a flux and in which there is an excess of oxygen.

9. The method herein described of producing metallic copper direct from copper matte, which consists in charging the matte into a furnace in hard condition, and successively melting the lowermost zones thereof, while oxidizing and desulfurizing the same.

10. The method herein described of producing metallic copper direct from copper matte, which consists in charging the matte into a furnace in hard condition, and successively melting the lowermost zones thereof, while oxidizing and desulfurizing the same, and drawing off the copper from time to time.

11. The method herein described of producing metallic copper direct from copper matte, which consists in charging the matte into a furnace in hard condition, and successively melting the lowermost zones thereof, while oxidizing and desulfurizing the same,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM KEMP.

Witnesses:

L. W. WAKEFIELD, HARRY L. HEFFNER. 

